On Sunday, 26 July 2026, Transport Victoria introduced major improvements to Route 511, the bus service connecting Beveridge and Craigieburn. For residents around Mandalay Estate, this is one of the biggest public transport improvements we’ve seen in years.
The service now runs approximately every 40 minutes, seven days a week, and includes several new bus stops. For me personally, this has made a huge difference. My nearest bus stop has gone from being around 1 kilometre away to only about 400 metres from home, making the service much more accessible.
Before these changes, Route 511 only operated around three services in each direction per day. That meant it was simply not practical for many people to rely on for work, appointments, shopping, or social activities.
My First Trip
I had my first opportunity to use the improved service on Sunday afternoon, catching the 1:00 pm bus to attend a football game before returning home later that day.
The journey was smooth and comfortable. One thing I noticed was that Route 511 has its own dedicated bus stop within Craigieburn.
Monday Morning Peak Hour
On Monday morning I decided to use the service again, this time during the morning peak. I boarded the 7:38 am service from Beveridge.
Although the bus wasn’t full, it was encouraging to see a number of local residents already making use of the improved service. We encountered some traffic while travelling through Beveridge, but once we reached the Hume Freeway the journey became much smoother. Despite the traffic, the bus only arrived at Craigieburn Station around 10 minutes behind schedule.
I then transferred to a city bound train. Fortunately, I only had to wait around five minutes for the next service. Shortly afterwards I received a Metro Trains notification advising that trains were recovering after an earlier incident involving an animal being struck. Services were moving slowly towards Roxburgh Park before returning to normal speeds further along the line.
I got off at Broadmeadows Station, walked through the underpass following the signs to the bus interchange, and arrived just in time for my connecting bus, which was due in four minutes.
Overall, my journey from Beveridge at 7:38 am to Keon Park, arriving at approximately 9:15 am, was quite reasonable for a trip during the morning peak.
Why This Matters
As someone who has anxiety around cars because of PTSD resulting from a car accident, I rely on public transport and support from my NDIS provider. Improvements like these make a real difference to my independence and ability to travel around Melbourne.
The new Route 511 timetable is a significant step forward for Beveridge. Having a service that operates throughout the week instead of only a handful of trips each day gives residents much greater flexibility and makes public transport a realistic option for far more people.
Looking Ahead
While these improvements are very welcome, I think there is still room for further investment.
Increasing the frequency even further would make the route even more attractive, especially during peak periods. I would also like to see a Beveridge railway station delivered as part of the proposed Upfield line extension to Wallan. Combined with improvements to address congestion on Lithgow Street, these upgrades would greatly improve transport for one of Victoria’s fastest growing communities.
Overall, I’m really pleased with the changes to Route 511. It’s encouraging to see public transport improving in Beveridge, and I hope this is just the beginning of further investment in the area.